Skeletal growth is a fundamental element of human development that occurs primarily in growth plate structures located near the ends of growing bones where template cartilage is generated, degraded, and replaced by bone in a highly coordinated, synchronized, and tightly controlled fashion. Recent advances in many fields, including human and mouse genetics, developmental and matrix biology, as well as signal transduction, have provided much insight into the nature of skeletal growth; but many questions remain unanswered, while new ones have been raised, and the full impact of the advances has yet to be realized. [unreadable] [unreadable] The proposed International Workshop on the Skeletal Growth Plate will directly tackle the molecular and cellular biology of the mammalian growth plate, its regulation, and its disturbances. Growing out of a very successful NIH-sponsored International Conference on the Growth Plate held in San Antonio in 2001, the Workshop will dissect current dogma and attempt to develop new paradigms for understanding growth plate function and dysfunction. The Workshop will be conceptually organized around the life cycle of the growth plate chondrocyte. Each session will be introduced by an expert, who will summarize current concepts, pose important questions to address, and lead in-depth discussions following relevant presentations. This workshop format is expected to challenge participants to critically explore skeletal growth and develop novel ways to conceptually frame and experimentally approach growth plate biology. Emphasis will be placed on integrating knowledge across disciplines, species, and experimental systems, and between basic and translational science applicable to medicine and dentistry. The Workshop will be targeted to basic and clinical scientists from academia and pharmaceutical as well as biotechnology industries, postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, as well as minorities. The participant mix, high speaker quality, workshop format, interdisciplinary nature of skeletal growth, as well as wealth of advances for discussion should contribute to a successful and effective workshop. It will be held at the Skamania Lodge near Portland, Oregon on June 11-15, 2006. The content of this Workshop has broad implications related to the missions of NICHD, NIAMS, and NIDCR. [unreadable] [unreadable] [unreadable]